It is arguably the biggest medical U-turn in history. For decades, mainstream healthy eating advice has been that to keep weight off, we should avoid fatty food.
But a radically different approach, of limiting carbohydrates and filling up instead on fat and protein, has been getting increasing support – and is now even recommended for weight loss and type 2 diabetes by various NHS bodies.
Yet in a few people, this approach – known as low-carbing, or the keto or Atkins diet – seems to raise cholesterol levels, usually seen as bad for the heart.
One such person is Dr Jen Unwin, 62, who has been low-carbing for 14 years. “Nobody has ever seen a cholesterol as high as mine. My GP nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to refer me to a high cholesterol clinic.”
At the last test, Unwin’s total cholesterol was 19 millimoles per litre (mmol/L). NHS advice is that it should be below 5 mmol/L. But she is not worried.
